Fans of classic football boots had better hide their wallet (or hastily re-write their letter to Santa) as Mizuno have unveiled the ultimate tribute to their most historic cleats with the Mizuno Morelia 30th Anniversary Collection.
It seems only yesterday that we welcomed the Mizuno Morelia Ultralight into the fold to mark 25 years of the Morelia – but as 2015 rolls around in a matter of weeks, Mizuno are making sure the 30th anniversary is celebrated in style, too.
The limited edition set contains three boots, each marked on the heel with a gold call-out to mark them as part of the set.
Limited to just Japan (for the time being) each boot marks a step in the evolution of Morelia, from it’s origins in the 1980’s to the futuristic Morelia Neo.
The Runbird Morelia is a a nod to the ‘Mizuno Runbird Co. Ltd’ – at the start of the 1980’s, Mizuno developed a seperate ‘Runbird’ identity for it’s non-golf products outside of Japan.
Which is why the original Morelia doesn’t actually say Mizuno on it – it’s not often that a boot’s name outlasts the moniker of the company that produced it!
However, the design – as you can see – is a classic, and it’s easy to see it’s influence on today’s Mizuno products.
A little more familiar is the Mizuno Morelia II – truly one of the most iconic ‘heritage’ football boots on the market and is definitely right at home in the Mizuno Morelia 30th Anniversary Collection.
The lower profile silhouette, iconic foldover tongue and iconic branding all compliment the White colourway, marking it out as from a time when football boots that weren’t just black in colour were breaking out into the market.
Finally, the Morelia Neo caps off today’s most forward-thinking Mizuno product. At just 185g and with a washable K-leather forefoot and vamp, it’s easy to see in the Mizuno Morelia 30th Anniversary Collection just how the past editions of this iconic boot informed the design of one of today’s best soccer shoes.
Whether or not you’ll be able to wear these on the pitch is more a matter of genetics than anything else, with the Morelia 30th Anniversary Collection only being produced in one size – in addition to it’s limited availability.
Also, the cost of the set could be a factor – at 68,472 Japanese Yen, this box set clocks in at around £366. Which, if you’re desperately trying to justify the purchase is actually pretty good value for £122 per pair of boots.
Is this a definitive way to mark a big anniversary for an iconic football boot?
Let us know in the comments!
